Vegan Low-Fat basil pesto is easy to make at home with controlled amounts of oils and salt in it. No need of adding any cheese in this and still the pesto tastes divine!
I love summers here in the UK, this year it is even more special as we have experimented growing our own produce starting from fresh herbs, leafy vegetables like spinach to tomatoes, beans, aubergines and few more. Basil is something that was immensely successful and oh boy, I was wondering why the hell we have never thought of growing our own so far.
It is an incredible and rewarding experience to grow our own food and I realised you don’t need massive gardens to grow few essential plants. For example, herbs and green leafy vegetables like basil, coriander, mint, spinach, fenugreek need just need a corner space even if you have a small balcony. You can have a continuous fresh supply of greens without having to do a super-market run every time.
It is only natural I try my hands on the recipe for homemade vegan low-fat basil pesto with abundant supply from our own green space. Store-bought pestos can have lots of oils and salt as they are meant to be preserved for a long time. You have total control on the oil and salt when you make them at home and the amount of calories you save is crazy!
Also making homemade pesto at the end of summer and freezing it can be a great idea to use it at later months without relying on the super-market jars.
Ingredients for Vegan low-fat Basil Pesto Recipe
Fresh Basil Leaves -If you can, source a whole plant which is economical and fresh. All major super markets sell these little pots of herbs.
Walnuts – the king of the pesto recipe, you can use pine nuts if not almonds too. Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fats and contain higher amounts of antioxidants than most other foods.
Garlic cloves are incrdibly nutirtious with fewer calories.
Rock salt and pepper corns -rock salt adds a very different taste, so try not to use table salt.
Olive oil – a good quality extra virgin olive oil is mandatory!
Lemon juice adds a nice tangy flavor.
How to use fresh homemade basil pesto
- Whip a spoonful into a bowl of freshly cooked spaghetti of course to make pesto pasta.
- Use in salads made from chickpeas, beans etc.
- Make pesto sandwiches with an extra dose of cucumbers and tomatoes.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
This homemade basil pesto can be made ahead and store in fridge for at-least 5 days.
The recipe is absolutely suitable for freezing. Transfer the fresh pesto into zip-lock freezer-friendly bags and you can freeze for at least 2-3 months. I would suggest to portion them in small bags so you don’t need to thaw larger quantities and end up throwing the unused pesto.
Watch how to make Vegan low-fat Basil Pesto
**I forgot to show adding lemon juice in the video,please refer to the recipe instructions.
Low-Fat Basil Pesto with homegrown Basil
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 5–7 tablespoons 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Low-Fat Basil Pesto is easy to make at home and a good option to mix with pasta and salads. This can also be used as a sandwich filler.
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 garlic pods
- 2.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Juice from half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon rock salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper corns
Instructions
- Wash the basil leaves properly under cold running tap water to remove any dirt.
- Add walnuts, rock salt peppercorns, garlic cloves and basil leaves into a mixer grinder.
- Pulse coarsely by adding olive oil and lemon juice gradually. Adust any salt and pepper as per tastes
- Transfer to a sealed glass jar and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Mix with pasta or salads as required and spread on toasts or use as a sandwich filler.
Notes
You can add pine nuts or almonds too in place of walnuts.
Incorporate oil slowly to the pesto to get it mixed well.
Nutrition values are given for one tablespoon, the recipe makes 5-6 tablespoons.
Optionally add in 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan for additional taste but check your calorie limit.
- Category: Preserves
- Method: Grind
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: basil pesto, low-fat, vegan, italian
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